Ridgefield Back In COVID "Red Zone" As Cases Continue To Climb

RIDGEFIELD, CT — Coronavirus cases are once again on the rise in Connecticut, with 25 towns in the state’s red alert zone for infection rates, including Ridgefield.

Connecticut's seven-day moving positive test rate average has been incrementally increasing, but still remains well below rates seen earlier in the year.

Ridgefield has climbed back into the "red zone," the state's highest alert level. The town had had 16.6 average daily cases per 100,000 residents and a positive test rate of 5.90 percent between March 20 and April 4, according to the state Department of Public Health.

In the previous reporting period, the town was in the "orange" with 13.2 average daily cases per 100,000 residents and a positive test rate of 4.6 percent, according to DPH.

It’s important to note that a few cases can have a large impact on a municipal case rate, especially for small towns.

Ridgefield recorded 37 new coronavirus cases between April 1 and 7, according to DPH’s preliminary data.

Eight local schools have reported COVID-19 cases among their students. Barlow Mountain Elementary School, Branchville Elementary School, East Ridge Middle School, Ridgebury Elementary School, Ridgefield Academy, Scotland Elementary School and Veterans Park Elementary School all reported fewer than six cases of COVID-19 among their student body from Mar. 31- Apr. 6. Ridgefield High School reported seven cases during the same time period.

As of Thursday, 65.7 percent of Americans have been fully vaccinated. In Connecticut, 78.5 percent of residents have had both jabs, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That's a climb of 0.1 percent for each over last week's tabulation. Just over half of Connecticut residents have received a booster shot against the coronavirus.

Ridgefield is slightly ahead of the state curve, with 82.04 percent of its residents fully vaccinated, up a quarter-point from last week, according to the latest DPH data.